Yes, it’s an electric bike. But you wouldn’t know it just by looking at it, and at 30 pounds (14 kg) it weighs as much as a regular city bike, so you wouldn’t know it by lifting it up the stairs.
What you see is the Fiido Air, a carbon fiber e-bike from a Chinese company that I once tested on a whim to see what an electric bike sold direct for $999 would be like. It turned out not to be very good and had a habit of cutting me in half afterward.
But I’m a forgiving person and the company has made amends to those affected. According to Fiido, the Air is the ‘world’s lightest city e-bike’ and has a ‘super early bird’ price of just $1799 (€1799 in Europe) at launch. It’s hard not to try it, especially when it’s half the price of the similarly priced Gogoro Eeyo.
After using the Fiido Air as a daily rider for over a month, I have to say I’m impressed: …… As long as you ignore the app and the stupid smartwatch that comes with it and aren’t afraid to do a bit of tinkering and troubleshooting yourself.
The first thing you will probably notice on the Fiido Air is the battery. Normally that’s an issue, but unlike the VanMoofs and some Amplers, this bike has plenty of stiff, lightweight carbon fiber in the frame, front fork, handlebars and seat tube stem, so in a pinch many people can get on the lift to carry them or climb stairs.
In fact, if it weren’t for the huge on/off graphic that Fido inexplicably adorns along the frame, you wouldn’t be able to tell it was an e-bike. Otherwise, the clean design is supported by internally routed cables.
